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UniSyn 1.14 for Alesis update?

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:38 pm
by Gothboy
Way back around '97 or so I bought an Alesis QS6 and it came with a CD-ROM of a bunch of programs and I used a few in tandem with the QS6 but never used the version 1.14 of UniSyn that came with it....I just didn't know what it was!? Until now. OK, ok I can hear you all laughing! :roll: After programming the QS6 manually for years I've just started using UniSyn for QS6 on a dedicated Mac Performa running OS 8.6 with an Opcode studio 3 interface(serial ports) and though it's buggy and sooo 1995 it does work so it's nice to be able to program it again.
Was there ever an update(not upgrade) for that program either made available to the public or a beta that made this editor work with the QS6 and a usb MIDI interface so I could use it with my midisport 8x8? Also, what happened to the Windows version of UniSyn and why are there no screenshots of UniSyn displayed on the MOTU website? Why all the secresy?!
As you can see I'm not a MOTU user....sorry! PT for me all the way. :wink:

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:22 am
by carrythebanner
Unisyn has been updated since 1.14, though I'm not sure which updates were paid upgrades or not (in any case, it's possible that the special version of Unisyn that came with your QS6 had a special update/upgrade path, but I'm not familiar with it).

It was updated to version 2.0.2 for OS 9, followed by 2.1 and 2.11 for OS X; the Windows version never made it past 1.5. Unisyn 2.11 for OS X came out more than four years ago — before OS 10.4, OS 10.5, and Intel Macs.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:04 am
by npatton
Not sure about upgrades for what you have. I believe the version of Unisyn that came with the QS synths was QS only, and wouldn't work with any other synths/modules. I still use a QS7 and that's how I was introduced to the software.

Unisyn has been all but abandoned by MOTU. No updates in forever, and seemingly no plans to do so. The rise of VI's seems to have killed off hardware editors. Kinda sucks for those of us who don't want to be tied to dongles and old computers...

n

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:01 pm
by Gothboy
Thanks guys. I just looked at the UniSyn downloads page and except for a profiles update for UniSyn 1.14(whatever this is....it can't be downloaded anyway... :? ) it looks like there was never an update for 1.14, only an update for 2.0 like you said.
I actually have 1.14 running on an older Mac and an older PC...the virtual keyboard won't work??? :roll: I'd consider upgrading to 2.2 but I have no idea if it would work with the QS6 or anything else for that matter, the info is so scarce!? I mean, what does it look like!? The price is easier to bear than Midiquest but at least with them you can see what you're buying!

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:31 pm
by Dave Bourke
I'm running Unisyn 1.52 under Mac OS 9.2.2 on my G4. I actually upgraded to Unisyn 2 when I moved to OS X but I found it untrustworthy and reverted.

Kind regards.

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:58 am
by Gothboy
Dave,
Is that version for a Korg synth or are you using it with an Alesis?

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:47 am
by npatton
When you purchase Unisyn's full version, it works with all the listed modules/synths. Look here:


http://www.motu.com/products/software/u ... files.html

The version you have was an OEM version packaged with the QS synths, so they limited its use to get you hooked, hoping you'd buy the full version. As you can see, that list has not been updated in several years, so no newer synth profiles are included.

Regarding the onscreen keys: their application was so limited for my way of working that I never used 'em. I use my QS7 as my controller right above my QWERTY keyboard, and use it to edit my other synths in Unisyn via MIDI. Much more practical way to check velocity and aftertouch (except the aftertouch on my QS is shot. Long story...). Sorry I'm no help there.

Good luck!
n

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:56 am
by Gothboy
Hey Neil, thanks for all that. I use an M-audio Radium 61 MIDI controller( see, it's got these knobs....) for softsynth control and for my Sampler and it's set up just like that, above my Qwerty keyboard...so there's no place for the QS6 there. If I get another keyboard synth I might just have to park the QS in front of the Mac Performa station next to my main desk and have it share space with the micromodular.

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:19 am
by npatton
Can you us the Radium to control the QS when your programming in Unisyn (since the QS is far away)? I would think that would be more practical than the onscreen keys. Of course I don't know your setup, so this might not work for you.

n

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:22 pm
by Dave Bourke
Gothboy wrote:Dave,
Is that version for a Korg synth or are you using it with an Alesis?
As Neil said, it works with a whole bunch of synths that have had Unisyn "profiles" written for them, Gothboy. As for me, I don't own an Alesis...

Kind regards.

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:23 am
by Gothboy
npatton wrote:Can you us the Radium to control the QS when your programming in Unisyn (since the QS is far away)? I would think that would be more practical than the onscreen keys.
I can't actually...or at least I don't think so... because the Radium is using usb to control softsynths on my main computer via usb and UniSyn is running on a different Mac. I could use a regular MIDI cable from the Radium straight into the QS6 but it means unplugging MIDI cables while I'm working on a song. I need to get some MIDI thru boxes!